Mamas For Africa

Mamas for Africa is a Belgian NGO working in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo to support survivors of sexual violence and address gender inequality. Operating in a context where sexual violence is used as a weapon of war, the organisation provides an integrated response combining medical care, psychosocial support, and community awareness. Mamas for Africa delivers medical care to survivors of sexual violence and women with serious gynaecological conditions, including uterine prolapse and fistula, and arranges hospitalisation when needed. Psychological support is equally central to their work, as many survivors face community ostracism and have no other source of assistance. The organisation is headquartered at the Maison de la Femme in Bukavu, South Kivu, from which multidisciplinary teams travel weekly to villages across the region. Fourteen staffed reception points across South Kivu extend their reach to remote areas, staffed by nurses, psychologists, and psychosocial assistants. A team of 20 core staff is supported by 35 locally employed outreach workers embedded in their communities. Beyond clinical services, Mamas for Africa runs awareness campaigns engaging entire communities — women and men — through parish centres, schools, village squares, and radio, addressing sexual violence, rejection, and positive masculinity. A key partner is Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr. Denis Mukwege, whose Panzi Hospital in Bukavu provides free medical care to women referred by the organisation.